


Call me Carol

by Patricia_Highsmithfan



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman, Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Coming of Age, Crossover, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Italy, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Sex, Romance, early 2000's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-02-10 17:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18665485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Highsmithfan/pseuds/Patricia_Highsmithfan
Summary: When Therese finds out who is this year graduate student that will spend the summer in her parents house, she can tell she is in in trouble.Once again Carol crosses Call me by your name. Two movies/books that I absolute love!





	1. Chapter 1

Call me Carol

_Taking in summer guests was my parents’ way of helping young academics revise a manuscript before publication. For six weeks each summer I’d have to vacate my bedroom and move one room down the corridor into a much smaller room that had once belonged to my grandfather._  
Andre Aciman

The moment she stepped out of the cab, I knew that summer was not going to be like the others. I watched from the balcony when she took of her sunglasses and extend her hand to greet my father. Such an elegant outfit for an academic student. If I saw her on the street, I would think she is a movie star. But not like any movie star. I’m talking classic Joan Crawford meets sexy Rita Hayworth and funny Lucille Ball, as later I would find out. What am I saying? None of this stars can get any near a good description of her. They were regular stars. She was this special brilliant shooting star. 

My mom called me to help them welcoming her and she looked up. Our eyes met at the same instant. She looked directly at me. 

_Her eyes were gray, colorless, yet dominant as light or fire, and, caught by them, Therese could not look away._  
Patricia Highsmith

My mom called me once more and I managed to get out of the trance. I went downstair to find them already in the living room engaged in a conversation about her flight. I took hesitant steps towards her. My shy teenage figure screaming the insecurity of a recent adulthood that was yet to show. It had only been a few weeks since I celebrated my eighteenth birthday, but I still felt as the nerdy fourteen year old who still lives inside me to this day.

“Darling, why are you standing there? Come here!”

Oh, mom! I might as well just die!

“This is our girl, she is a little bit shy”.

I could feel my face burn. By the smirk on her lips, I think my cheeks were the color of her lipstick.

“Hello”.

“Hello”.

All I could say was hello.

“I’m sure you must be exhausted. Show her your room, Therese!”

She just nodded and smiled.  
We climbed the stairs in silence. I was very aware of her presence right behind me. She had this perfume… intoxicating. 

I opened the door to my room, all of the sudden very self conscious about every detail that revealed the person who inhabited there. Every detailed that revealed me. I glanced at my bookshelf and regretted that I still collected some of my teen readings. I ran to pick up the music sheets that scattered across the desk and stored them in the drawer. 

When she closed the door, I saw her smiling at the big poster of Cate Blanchett in the movie Elizabeth that was glued to it. How embarrassing! She didn’t say anything though.

We locked eyes again. This time it was more intense. I was the one who spoke first.

“My room is your room now. I will be next door. We have to share a bathroom. Call me if you need anything.”

“And what should I call you?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Therese.”

“Therese Belivet! That’s lovely”

Lovely was the way she spoke my name.

“And yours?”

She lied down in the bed and smiled.

“Call me Carol.”

“Carol”. I couldn’t stop myself from repeating it. 

She leaned back on the pillow and yawn.

“Sorry. I should let you rest.”

And I went to my old grandfather’s bedroom to start my days of daydreaming about that goddess. It was going to be a long summer.


	2. Chapter 2

I heard the bell that Mafalda ringed from the bottom of the stairs. It indicates that the food is ready. Since I’ve moved to my “new bedroom” this afternoon, I’ve been transcribing music. This is one of my favorite pastime when we are spending the summer in this villa in north Italy where I was born. I have good memories from my childhood here before dad was invited to teach in Yale and we moved to the U.S. Then, travel back to spend summer here became a family tradition.

I took off my headset and turned off my portable cd player. 

As I passed through Carol’s bedroom I noticed that she was still sound asleep. I wasn’t sure if I should wake her up. I knocked the door.

“We’re being called to dinner.”

She was so beautiful sleeping on her stomach with one arm flung up. 

Very gently, I sat down silently on the edge of her bed and watched her breathe. She was still wearing make-up and was still on the clothes she arrived. I quietly lifted a finger and lightly ran it along her cheek. I don’t know if I wanted to wake her up and tell her to have something to eat or if I just wanted to stay there, watching her sleep. 

The bell rang again. I got up quickly to not be caught drooling over her and tried once more.

“Carol, we’re being called to dinner.”

She turned over in her sleep and I thought I better let her rest.

On the way downstairs I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved that she wasn’t going to be at the dinner table with us. 

But I was also worried that she wouldn’t eat anything, so I planned to fix her a sandwich and leave on the nightstand on my way back.

 

_______

 

“Did you recover from your trip, dear?”

My mom asked Carol who was approaching our table. We usually eat breakfast outside, in the garden in front of the kitchen.

“Yes, I certainly did. I think I slept for days.”

“You didn’t even join us for diner. You must be starving.”

“Oh, I had a sandwich.”

She glanced at me and blinked. Does she know it was me? 

She sat down and took a chocolat croissant.

I was trying not to stare at her concentrating on spreading honey on a piece of bread.

“I can show you around”

I heard myself saying unnaturally loud. My mom and dad looked surprised.

“Thank you, Therese. Are we far from the town? I need to go the post office.”

“Should I take her to Montodine?” 

I asked my father. 

“I think they might be closed. Try Crema”.

“Oh, my God. I got here so tired yesterday that I hadn’t noticed how beautiful the surrounds are. Orchard?”

“Peaches, cherries, apricots, pomegranate”

My mom said grinning.

Mafalda returned with a pitcher of apricot juice on a little tray and fill Carol’s glass. She tasted it, then enthusiastically downed it. I realized I was starring.

“So good!”

“Have another croissant.” 

My mom said to Carol.

“No. Thank you.I know myself. If I have three, I’ll have a fourth, and more.”

I’ve never heard someone this age saying “I know myself”. It was intimidating. 

_______

After we finished breakfast, I lended my bike to Carol and took mom's. We rode towards the town of Crema and its post office. 

Carol was silent, but I could tell by her face that she was enjoying the ride. 

We finally arrived.

“There it is.”

“Thank you, Therese. I might take some time, here. You don’t need to wait for me, I think I can come back on my own”.

“Oh… ok”.

I couldn’t mask my disappoint. 

“Unless you want to… show me around later. Maybe you can wait for me in that cafe over there?”

“Sure”.

God, I was trying to act cool and was failing miserably.


	3. Chapter 3

How long do a person take in the post office? I mean, what can she be doing in the post office that take this long? I had read 2 chapters of my favorite book that I always carry around with me and I was in my third cup of iced tea. When I was trying to sketch her smile in my notebook I realised that she wasn’t in the post office! I’m so stupid! She must be doing something else. Something private! She sent me home and I insisted in sticking around. She took pity on me! Does she think that I am lonely? That I don’t have friends? I have Dannie… I should be with Dannie instead of waiting around for this stupid cocky american that thinks I’m her puppy.

I started to collect my things when she showed up at the door. With that stupid smile of hers.

“I’m so sorry Therese, I took too long!”

“Oh, it’s okay”. 

“Were you leaving?”

“I was… yes, I was gonna leave a message to you, you know… you said you can go home by yourself, I should have gone”

“No. Please, stay. Show me around. I’m free now”.

“I’m sorry. I should get going… I’m gonna meet my friend Dannie. We are gonna hang out.”

I paid my drinks and started to walk out the cafe. She was following me.

“Oh… is he like your boyfriend?”

Yuck, no! Dannie is like a brother to me! But she doesn’t have to know that…

“Well… I only see him when I’m here so… not exactly a boyfriend”

“I see…” 

And that was that. She was smiling that smile of hers. The one so hard to portray in my drawings. I was melted again.

“It is not what you are thinking”.

“Oh, you don’t know what I am thinking…”

She winked at me with her lips curved. What is she doing?

“You and your family spend a lot of time in Italy, don’t you?”

“We do… Yes. We usually spend summer here and Christmas. Sometimes other vacations too.”

We were walking down the street carrying our bikes. I was enjoying the company and conversation. For the first time since she arrived, I was feeling at ease.

“And what do you do?”

“Transcribe music. Read books. Swim at the river. Go out at night.”

“With... Dannie?”

“Yes… and his brother Phil. And Genevieve. And a few of my cousins too. You are probably going to meet them all later. They usually step by to play volleyball in our yard at the sunset”.

“And do you play?”

“Oh… no, I’m not very good with sports. I just watch”.

She smiled again. 

“Then... you can show me around another day. I don’t want you to leave Dannie waiting”

She said Dannie with this distinctive tone of voice. What does she mean with all this teasing? I was trying to make her jealous with this lie and it seems she was the one messing with me.

“Right… did you do everything you had to do in the post office?”

“Yes, I did. Thank you for bringing me here”

"You're welcome".

We standed there starring at each other for a while. Then, she got on the bike.

“Later”.

Later? 

And with that she disappeared down the street with my bike, leaving me standing in the middle of the street trying to process this whole interaction. What was that with all the lying? I never lie… I hope Dannie is really at home. I can use a friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_It never occurred to me that what had totally panicked me when he touched me was exactly what startles virgins on being touched for the first time by the person they desire: he stirs nerves in them they never knew existed and that produce far, far more disturbing pleasures than they are used to on their own._   
Andre Aciman

Of course Carol had to be great at sports. Dannie’s older brother, Phil, was all over her. Everybody was all over her. 

I had spent the afternoon at Dannie’s. He tried to get me to talk about the “glamorous American” who was staying at my place, but I just kept changing the subject. I’m not ready to talk about her. I don’t even know what I would say. All I know is that I can hardly breath around her. But I’m not ready to admit that.

When I got back home, she was working with my dad in his office. They were engaged in a enthusiastic conversation about linguistics. I stood in the doorway watching for a while. She is so smart. She glanced at me and quickly looked away. I felt invisible. 

Now, Dannie and I are sitting on the grass watching the game. Carol, Phil and Jack made up one side of the game, while the opposing team was made up of Gen, Richard and Tommy. 

“She’s certainly a big improvement from last year, do you remember?” 

Dannie is talking about Jeannette. An academic librarian style, not at all sporty. I actually liked Jeannette. We never exchanged more than a few words, but she was ok.

“Jeannette was nice”.

“Nice, yes… she was not hot, though”.

Dannie said nodding towards Carol who was cheering a new score. She gave Phil a high five.

“I think she is cool!”

Even Dannie was under Carol’s spell. That was that! I had no one on my side. _On my side???_

I got up and went to the table to get a bottle of water. When I was walking back, Dannie asked for a sip. As I was handing him, Carol came from behind, took the bottle from my hands and drank it. 

She put her free arm around me squeezing her thumb and forefingers into my shoulder in a hug-massage.

I was taken by surprise, spellbound for an instant, yielding to Carol’s hand, even leaning into it, then I wrenched myself away from Carol’s grab. 

Taken aback, Carol apologized.

“What’s the matter? Did I hit some nerve?”

“I’m alright”. 

“Here. Let me make it better. Relax”.

Then she came closer and started to really massage my shoulders. I felt as if I was going to melt right there in front of my friends and family. Why is she doing this to me??

“I’m relaxed”.

“You’re stiff as a board. You’re made of knots”.

She came even closer and I could smell her scent. It was mix of her distinctive perfume, sunscreen and sweat. She was pressing my shoulders with those delicate fingers and I was having trouble to keep my eyes opened. 

“Feel this Dannie”, she said, motioning Dannie to come closer. 

"It’s all knots." 

I felt his hands on my back. 

"Here," she ordered, pressing her flattened palm hard against my back.

"Feel it? She should relax more."

“Carol!” Phil yelled from the court and she let go of my shoulders.

“Later”. 

I watched as she ran back to the game.

"You should relax more," Dannie repeated and if my stare could kill, he would have dropped dead at the same instant. 

Gen teased Carol about the way she serves and she answered something that made them all laugh. 

I had to get away from there.

Mom and Mafalda were preparing the table for dinner.

“Hey, sweetheart, Auntie Marcella and the others are coming for dinner. Is Carol staying with us or is she going out?”

“I don’t know”

I couldn't care less. 

Except that I cared. 

A lot.


	5. Chapter 5

_There was always something abrupt about that word. It wasn't "See you later" or "Take care, now," or even "Ciao." Later! was a chilling, slam-dunk salutation that shoved aside all our honeyed European niceties. Later! always left a sharp aftertaste to what until then may have been a warm, heart-to-heart moment. Later! didn’t close things neatly or allow them to trail off. It slammed them shut._  
Andre Aciman

 

“Hey! You look nice!”

“Thanks, mom”.

“Are you wearing makeup? Did you see it, darling? Our baby is wearing makeup”  
“Please mom, drop it!”

I took a seat at the outside table where the dinner was set. My aunt and uncle was there and also a few of our neighbours. There was an empty seat next to mine.

“She is late”

My mom said looking at me with an apologetic look. And then asked Mafalda to remove Carol’s place setting away. Mafalda does it instantly and I watch as Carol’s plate, placemat, glass, napkin, disappear as if she had never existed. The crack of the silverware took me out of my reverie. I realized that I was staring. Did they notice it?

“Don’t you think it is rude when she says “later”? Arrogant?” 

“I don’t think so. I think Carol is shy” my dad defended her.

I was so angry at her I had to defend my point. 

“You watch, this is how she’ll say goodbye to us when the time comes. With her gruff, slapdash, Later!” I did my best impersonation of her.

“Meanwhile, we’ll have to put up with her for six long weeks. Won’t we?” Mom said with defying look to me. What does she know? 

“I’m telling you, she’s just shy. You’ll grow to like her.”

“Yeah, but what if I grow to hate her?” 

 

_______

 

When everyone returned to the living room, my dad asked me to play something. I wasn’t feeling like it.

They were talking and drinking. I was pretending to watch MTV with my cousins. I couldn’t stop thinking about her and how frustrating it was that I had put on my most beautiful dress and even makeup and she won’t see me like this. I never wear makeup. I never put too much effort trying to look nice. Actually is the other way around. I rather if no one notices me.

“Honey, why don’t you feel like it?” My dad insisted. 

“Because I don’t want to” It came out more rough that I intended. 

“Therese, why are you in a bad mood? Why didn’t you go out with Dany tonight?”  
I decided it was better to just play.

 

_______

Later that night I was still tossing around in bed, trying to get some sleep. I hadn’t heard Carol come home, but I checked it anyway. Her bed was as empty as earlier. She was still out there.

I was so angry. But I don’t know if I was angry because Carol hadn’t been here for dinner and I didn’t know where she was or if I was angry because this mattered this much to me. What was I feeling? Why?


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up with a ray of sunlight coming through the window and hitting my sleeping face. The house was unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. My parents must have taken Mafalda to the fair. 

I don’t know what time Carol came home last night, she wasn't here around 2am when I fall asleep. Maybe she didn’t even sleep at home.

I dreamed that she came home and entered my room. She watched me sleeping for a while. I was lying on my stomach facing the door. She came to me and caressed my hair, brushing it back behind my ear. And then she gave me a delicate kiss on my forehead.

Of course it was a dream. She wouldn’t do that. But as I was pretending to sleep in my dream, I wished she would have lain in bed with me and pressed her body to mine. And then she did. But I was too afraid to open my eyes and check it. Because even in my dream, I knew it was too good to be true. Even in my dream… it was just a dream.

Now I was awake in a silent house with no signs of Carol and I just wish I could stay here pretending to sleep for days, months, years, until she finally comes here to kiss me and press her body to mine.

I closed my eyes and my hand easily found the inside of my panties. I touched myself there. I was so wet. 

I heard a knock on my door and quickly pulled my panties higher with a jerking movement. I quickly grabbed my bedside book.

“Hey, Therese. Did I wake you?”

She was looking more beautiful than ever. All sweaty.

“No… I was awake… I am awake”. I said still slightly out of breath.

“Why aren’t you with the others at the river?”

“I’m... I’m... I have... an allergy.”

“Me too. We might have the same one.”

 _Yeah… wait. What does she mean?_ I couldn’t stop staring at a drop of sweat going down her cleavage. 

“Want to go for a swim? Just the two of us?”

“Later, maybe.”

“Let’s go now.”

She grabbed my sticky hand and I didn’t know where to hide my face. I just turned on my side facing the wall, away from her, but in the movement a slight tugging pulled her down on the bed.

It couldn’t get more awkward. 

She straightened up, paused again to look down, and still grasping my hand, succeeded in pulling me upright.

“I’m going to change.”

As soon as she left my room, I put my hand down inside my shorts. It was damped. _Ugh! She definitely figured everything._

I was suddenly taken by a defiant boldness and striped off my clothes and went out into the bathroom grabbing my swimsuit and catched a glimpse of Carol half naked in her room. 

She finished getting into her bikini and called out: “See you downstairs!”

I, still naked, holding my swimsuit in my hand in my sticky hand, stared at the mirror. _What am I doing?_

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

_And tell me I wasn’t dreaming that night when I heard a noise outside the landing by my door and suddenly knew that someone was in my room, someone was sitting at the foot of my bed, thinking, thinking, thinking, and finally started moving up toward me and was now lying, not next to me, but on top of me, while I lay on my tummy, and that I liked it so much that, rather than risk doing anything to show I’d been awakened or to let him change his mind and go away, I feigned to be fast asleep, thinking, This is not, cannot, had better not be a dream, because the words that came to me, as I pressed my eyes shut, were, This is like coming home, like coming home after years away among Trojans and Lestrygonians, like coming home to a place where everyone is like you, where people know, they just know— coming home as when everything falls into place and you suddenly realize that for seventeen years all you'd been doing was fiddling with the wrong combination. Which was when I decided to convey without budging, without moving a single muscle in my body, that I’d be willing to yield if you pushed, that I’d already yielded, was yours, all yours, except that you were suddenly gone and though it seemed too true to be a dream, yet I was convinced that all I wanted from that day onward was for you to do the exact same thing you'd done in my sleep._  
Andre Aciman


End file.
